Ronins Together Again
by Red Blaze 16
Summary: It's been 21 years since the Ronins defeated Tulpa. How could they ever know that the normal life was never meant for them? Part one in the Spirit's Curse series. Please R & R.
1. Characters

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins, so please don't sue. BUT I do own the children; ask me if you want to use them.

Ronins Together Again: New Characters

Kaida Sanada is the only daughter of Ryo and Mia. Long black hair flows down her back with her father's blue eyes. Many people who know Ryo as a teenager say that Kaida remind them of him.

Kira Date, Sage's only daughter, has blonde hair and green eyes. Wanting to make sure his daughter would never be a victim, Kira has some training in martial arts, with a focus on swords.

Hoshi Hashiba, the oldest of the children at seventeen years old, has been thought to be older by those who meet him for the first time. The only child of Rowen, Hoshi tends to display a wisdom beyond his years. He loves Kira, but is too shy to tell her.

Miki Rei Faun is a lot like his father Kento in many ways. Though he does has a serious side, Miki prefers to take life lightly. The two things he enjoys the most: his girlfriend, Nami, and food.

Makoto Mouri, the only son of Cye and Nami's twin brother, he tends to be the leader of the group. Of the Ronin children, he is closest to Hoshi. Secretly, he wants to date Kaida, but is afraid of what she'll say.

Nami Mouri, the daughter of Cye and twin sister of Makoto, can sometimes be a bit of an airhead, but don't let that fool you to the heart that lies within.


	2. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins, so please don't sue me. BUT I do own the children, so ask me if you want to use them. **

**Ronins Together Again**

By Red Blaze

**Prologue**

Twenty-one years ago, the Ronins defeated Tulpa and Lady Kayra took over the Dynasty. On that eventful day, the Ronins gave their armors to Lady Kayra for safe keeping, since it was felt that they no longer needed the armors. With no armors, the Ronins were able to return to normal lives. They grew up, married, and now have children of their own. If only they had known twenty-one years ago that "normal" was never met for them.


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The Ronins aren't often able to get all together, especially when their children are in school year round. They found that it was easier to get together when the children were younger, but when the children became teenagers, it became harder, since they were in school for longer periods of time. But with interest starting to develop between the teenagers, the kids want to spend more time together. Now, the former Ronins have a hard time keeping their kids apart.

But marriage is in the future. Currently, the former Ronins and their children are enjoying a nice summer's day at Cye's lake house. The day was meant to be spent with all five families, but the only people currently at the house are the children and Ronins. The wives of the Ronin Warriors are all shopping in the nearest city, which happens to be over 35 miles away.

Though the men decided to spend the day in the house, for a quiet afternoon, the teenagers decided that time spent in the house for not for them. They wanted time together and didn't want to worry about their dads being in the next room. It was decided by all that an afternoon spent at the lake would be just what the doctor ordered. Walking down to the lake, the teenagers spend a few hours in the sun and water. But all too soon, they realize that their afternoon is done for the day, since it's for supper and they need to get back to the house.

"Come on, guys!" yells Nami, as she gets out of the water. "Our dads will like totally freak if we walk into the house late for dinner, especially my dad. He's probably doing all the cooking."

"Only because he's probably the only one who knows what he's doing in a kitchen," says Hoshi, who left the water earlier for a little sun and is resting on the beach.

Giggling, Nami nods her head. "Dad's the only one with a clue."

"And what a clue he has!" exclaims Miki, as he swims toward the shore. "Your dad has magic fingers when it comes to food."

"Ain't that the truth," says Kaida, as she steps out of the water.

Walking over to where they all left their towels, they dry off as much as they can before slipping their clothes on over their swimsuits. Running into the forest that is between them and their house, Kaida stops just a few feet into the woods and places a hand at her neck.

"Damn, I forgot the necklace that Dad gave me," says Kaida, as she looks back toward the lake.

"I'll walk back with you to look for it," replies Kira, who had stopped next to Kaida.

"I'll join ya," says Makoto, as he begins to walk back to the lake.

"No. Go ahead back to the house. Tell dad I will be along," says Kaida, as she heads back toward the lake with Kira right beside her.

"See ya back at the house," shouts Nami, as she starts to run toward the house.

The two girls run back to the lake. Kaida quickly finds the necklace where she had left it, but as they turn to head back to the house, three men dressed in body armor step out of the nearby forest, but from the opposite direction that the teenagers had left in.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" demands Kaida, as looks them over. "This is private property."

"We are _friends_ of your fathers," replies the man in the purple armor.

"Dressed in battle armor? You look more like enemies than friends," replies Kira, as she eyes the warriors.

"We have not come all this way just to talk with you, girl," states the man dress in black armor. "Where are the Ronins?"

"Rowen? He's back at the house," replies Kaida, nodding her head in the direction of the house.

"Not Rowen. Ronin," responds the green armored warrior. "Tell us now or you will suffer dearly."

"But we don't know who you're talking about," replies Kira, keeping her eyes focused on the black armored man. _Why does this one make me more nervous than the other two?_

"Perhaps my venom will loosen your tongue," says the green armored man, as he starts toward the girls. "Again, where is Wildfire and the others?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," says Kira as she takes a step back from the advancing warrior.

Lunging toward Kira, the green armored man misses her as she back-flips out of his way. Landing next to Kaida, Kira leans toward her friend.

"I know some fighting techniques, but not enough to keep these guys at bay," whispers Kira, as she keeps an eye on the three warriors. "We need help."

"Do you think our dads might be outside? What if we yelled for them?" whispers Kaida, though her eyes never leave the armored men.

"Enough talking! Tell us what we want to know," demands the black armored man, taking a step toward the girls.

"Can't tell you what we don't know," snaps Kaida.

"Or maybe you just need a little help in remembering," replies the warrior in purple armor, as he also moves toward the girls.

As the men advance on the two girls, Kira back-flips again out of reach. Seeing that she has a chance, Kira takes a deep breath and shouts out…

"Help! Dad!"

Within seconds, the armored men overcome the girls and, though Kira tries to fight, it isn't long before they are rendered unconscious.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Back at the house, the five former Ronins are outside waiting for their children to get back from the lake. Quickly, they notice that only four teenagers walking out of the woods, not six.

"Where's Kaida and Kira?" asks Ryo, as he walks down to meet the children.

"Kaida totally forgot that necklace you bought her," replies Nami.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" asks Ryo, as he shakes his head and smiles.

"Anyway, Kaida went back to get it and Kira went with her," finishes Nami.

Just as Nami finishes those words, a shout is heard from the lake.

"Help! Dad!"

A sudden silence follows, but not for long.

"That sounded like Kira," exclaims Sage, as he takes off for the woods and the lake.

Quick to follow, the remaining Ronins and their children follow as they head in the direction of the shout. Exiting the woods, they all find themselves near the lake. Close to the shoreline, everyone sees the unconscious girls with no one around. Ryo and Sage run over to their daughters and kneel next to them, checking their conditions.

"Unconscious," says Ryo, nodding toward the girls.

"We'd better get them back to the house," says Rowen, as he looks around the beach and notices battle signs in the disturbed sand.

Ryo nods his head and he bends down to pick up his daughter. Shifting her into his arms, Kaida stirs for a moment.

"Wildfire," she whispers, then slips out of consciousness again.

Freezing as he hears his daughter whisper his name, Ryo glances over to see if anyone else heard her. Noticing that Sage has paled, Ryo catches Sage's eyes. Nodding his head, Sage looks at Kaida before returning his attention to his own daughter, who is now in his arms. Turning around, everyone heads back into the woods to walk back to the house. Once at the house, they bring the girls upstairs to their shared bedroom. Placing each girl down on her own bed, Ryo steps back to let Sage look at both girls.

Taking a quick look over his shoulder and noticing that the remaining teenagers followed them into the room, Sage turns back to look over his daughter. Running his hands down her arms and legs, Sage searches his daughter for broken bones. Satisfied with the examination, he checks her pulse and lifting her eyelids. Turning to Kaida, Sage repeats the process. Once the initial assessment is over, Sage turns to Ryo.

"Nothing broken, though they're a little banged up," says Sage, turning back to look at his daughter. _What I wouldn't give for my old armor's healing powers right now. _

Nodding his head, Ryo turns to the others.

"I want you four to remain upstairs," says Ryo, as he looks from teenager to teenager. "The rest of us are going to talk downstairs. Don't come downstairs until we tell you to."

The five warriors meet in the downstairs living room. Rowen and Cye sit down on the couch, while Kento takes a seat on a nearby chair. For a few minutes, no one speaks, then Cye turns to look at Ryo.

"What did she say?" asks Cye quietly.

"What?" asks Kento, glancing from Cye to Ryo.

"Wildfire," replies Ryo, as he paces around the room.

"How? How could she know?" asks Rowen, glancing at Ryo.

"It's got to be the Dynasty," says Cye, shaking his head.

"Maybe. Maybe not," replies Sage, leaning against the doorframe.

"Maybe we should wait till Mia and the girls get back from town. She might know what's going on," says Kento.

"Or maybe we should try to get a hold of Kayra. She controls the Dynasty now," says Cye. "If anyone is going to know what the Dynasty is doing, it'll be her."

Just then, the phone rings. Cye gets off the couch and walks over to the end table, where the phone is located. Picking it up after the third ring, Cye talks for a few moments and then places the phone back down on the cradle.

"That was Mia. She and the girls are going to stay in town for the night," explains Cye. "They said they were going to catch a late movie and then crash at a hotel."

"Probably for the best," says Rowen. "Last thing we need is more people here when we don't even know what's going on."

"And Mia could use the break. She works hard at the U.N.," adds Ryo.

Nodding his head, Cye joins Rowen on the couch again. For a moment, no one says anything. Ryo walks over to the glass door that looks out onto the backyard. The silence getting to him, Kento jumps up from his chair and walks over to a window and back.

"How do we even get a hold of Kayra? It's not like the Dynasty has a 1-800 number," says Kento, as he sits back down in his chair.

"For once, Kento has a good question," says Cye.

"Hey!" replies Kento, as he jumps out of his chair again.

"Settle down, Kento," says Sage, as he moves away from the doorframe.

"What about the Jewel of Life?" asks Rowen. "Mia said that it took the Ancient's Staff to find the Jewel. Could there be a connection between the two?"

"It's worth a try," replies Cye, as he gets up from the couch.

"But what good does the Jewel do us? We don't have it here," says Kento.

"Actually, we do," replies Ryo, turning away from the glass door. "After Mia was finished with it, I gave the Jewel to Cye to keep it safe. It was originally found in a temple under the water. I thought it would be best if kept at this house, since it's the closest of our homes to a body of water."

While Ryo is explaining, Cye steps out of the room and walks down the hall. Entering his study, Cye walks up to the painting of a setting sun on the ocean and pulls the painting off the wall and reveals a hidden safe. Cye quickly opens the safe and removes the Jewel from its hiding place. Walking back into the living room, he hands the Jewel to Ryo.

"Now what? E.T. phone home?" asks Kento, looking at the Jewel in Ryo's hand.

"Kento, be serious," replies Rowen.

"Well, the only person who ever made the stupid thing work was Yuli and he's not here," says Kento, shaking his head.

"What about meditating with the Jewel?" asks Sage, ignoring Kento. "Maybe if we all concentrated on it, the Jewel might open up to the Staff."

"At this point, anything is worth a try," replies Ryo, as he moves to sit down on the floor. "Ok, everyone. Get comfortable."


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

As the four teenagers keep watch over their two friends, they try to listen in on what is being said downstairs. Only hearing the murmur of voices, they turn their attention to each other.

"What is this all about?" asks Nami, from the floor where she is sitting with her boyfriend.

"I don't know," replies Makoto, sitting next to Kaida on the bed. "I really wish I did though."

"When will they let us get involved?" asks Miki. "I mean, it's boring just sitting up here. I want some action."

No one answers, since none of them know when their fathers will call for them. For a few minutes, the room is silent while they think about what happened down by the lake. Suddenly, Makoto stands up and walks around the small room.

"I should have been there."

"You couldn't have know," replies Miki, looking up at his friend.

"Besides, what if you had been there? Instead of two friends lying in bed, it could have been three," adds Nami, as she stands up and places a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Or, I could have protected them," says Makoto, as he shakes off his sister's hand and walks back over to Kaida's bed.

"You need to focus on the here and now," says Hoshi. "Torturing yourself with 'what if' won't do anyone any good."

Another silence befalls the room, this time deeper than the last.


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

In the living room, the Ronins are finishing up their meditation and standing up from the floor. Sensing a presence behind them, the Ronins turn to the doorway and notice that Lady Kayra is standing there. As she silently moves into the room, the Ronins also realize that she is not alone. Dressed in full battle armor, the former Dark Warlords, enter the room behind Kayra and stop. For a moment, no one says anything. It's been 21 years since the last time the Ronins had seen the Warlords and while the Ronins had aged with time, the Warlords look the same as they did all those years ago.

"Ronin Warriors, you have called and I have answered. What is wrong?" asks Kayra, as she looks over each Ronin.

"Earlier today, two of our children were attacked," states Ryo, taking a step forward to meet Kayra.

"I don't understand your meaning," replies Kayra, raising a brow.

"Two of our daughters were attacked," says Sage. "By the time we got to them, both were unconscious, though Kaida woke for a moment and whispered 'Wildfire'."

"My daughter has no knowledge of my past history as a Ronin," says Ryo. "Someone must have told her."

"Are you suggesting that we were involved?" asks Cale, taking a step forward to stands next to Kayra.

"Knowing you, Cale, I wouldn't put it passed you," responds Sage, glaring at the former Warlord of Corruption and Decay. "You did enjoy attacking people smaller than you."

"Enough! We did not come all this way to bicker like children," says Kayra.

"I agree with Kayra," says Ryo. "I just want to know what happened."

"Wildfire, we have not interfered with your lives in 21 years. Why would we do so now?" asks Lady Kayra.

"I'm not saying that you did interfere. What I am saying is my daughter and Sage's were attacked and I specifically heard my daughter call my armor's name," replies Ryo, looking from Kayra to each of the former Warlords. "What I want to know is if you have any ideas."

"Have they heard you mention the armors in stories?" asks Dais, stepping up to stand on the other side of Kayra. "Perhaps a bedtime story, but excluded the fact that you were the warriors."

"No," replies Ryo, shaking his head.

"Nor have I," says Sage.

Glancing to the other Ronins, they each shake their heads to say that they also had not told any of the children of their time as Ronin Warriors. A short moment of silence falls over the room, before they all hear the sound of running feet. Bursting into the room, Hoshi stops short as he sees that there is company in the house.

"I thought you were told to stay upstairs, young man," says Rowen, as he moves toward his son.

"Sorry, Dad, but we wanted to tell you that Kaida and Kira are awake," responds Hoshi, as he still keeps the four strangers in view.

The words had barely left Hoshi's mouth, before Ryo and Sage went running out of the room and up the stairs. As they enter the bedroom, both girls turn their attention to their fathers. Rushing to each of their daughter's bedsides, they give their daughters hugs as they check them over.

"Kaida, are you ok?" asks Ryo, as he sits next to his daughter on the edge of her bed.

"Yeah," responds Kaida, nodding her head.

"Kira?" asks Sage, placing a comforting hand on her cheek.

"I'm find, Dad," says Kira, smiling at her father.

"What happened?" asks Ryo, glancing between girls.

"It was so weird," exclaims Kaida.

"Yeah," continues Kira. "These guys just walked out of the forest and started asking us all sorts of questions. We didn't know what they were talking about and told them that."

"Then they attacked us, though I don't remember too much after that," finishes Kaida, touching her head.

"Well, they aren't here anymore, so you're safe," says Ryo, as he makes eye contact with Sage. Nodding his head, Ryo looks back at all the children. "I think it's time for guys to join us downstairs."

Nodding his head in agreement, Sage stands up from the bed. The teenagers begin to file of the room. Glancing back at the girls, Makoto turns to Ryo.

"Are they coming too?"

Nodding his head, Ryo turns back to the girls. "If you think you can walk downstairs, we'll try to get to the bottom of this soon."

Nodding their heads, the girls get out of bed and follow the others downstairs and into the living room. But they stop short as they see the three Warlords standing in the room.

"You!" say Kaida and Kira.


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

Kaida and Kira continue to stare at the Warlords, while not moving any further into the room. Ryo glances between the two girls and the Warlords.

"Do you know them, Kaida?" asks Ryo. "Kaida?"

"Yeah, we know them," replies Kaida slowly.

"Kira?" asks Sage, moving toward his daughter.

"They're the ones who jumped us at the lake," replies Kira, pointing a finger at the Warlords.

"Are you sure, child?" asks Lady Kayra, as she turns and looks at the Warlords over her shoulder.

"Very," replies Kira, glancing at Lady Kayra and then returning her attention to the Warlords.

"You must be mistaken, girl," says Cale, shaking his head. "I've never seen you before now."

"I'd believe my daughter before I would believe you, Cale," responds Sage, taking a step toward Cale. "You just couldn't leave us alone. It wasn't enough to fight us 21 years ago. Now you have to attack our children."

"Halo, this is impossible," says Kayra, stepping between the Sage and Cale. "They were with me during the time when you said the girls were attacked."

"And he's the Warlord of Illusion," says Kento, pointing a finger at Dais. "For all you know, he could have used an illusion to make you think they were there."

"Hardly," sneers Dais.

"Or you could be trying to protect them," says Rowen, glancing between the Warlords and Kayra.

"We don't need to be _protected_, Strata," says Sekhmet, taking a step toward Rowen.

"Stop!" shouts Cye, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Taking a breath, Cye looks around the room. "I wouldn't be the first to defend them, but lets hear what they have to say before you try to kill them."

"For once, I am in agreement with you, Torrent," says Sekhmet, glancing at Cye.

"If Cye's willing to give you a chance, then I am willing to listen," says Ryo, as he looks toward each Warlord. "Explain."

"As Lady Kayra said, we had been with her," says Dais, thinking that that was enough of an explanation.

"Not good enough, Warlord of Illusion," replies Kento.

"Tell us your story, child," asks Kayra, not wanting a fight to break out.

"Well, the six of us went to the lake to swim before dinner," says Kaida. "It was time to head back, so we started back toward the house. While walking back, I realized that I had forgotten my necklace by the lake, so I went back to get it."

"I went with her," continues Kira. "Just as she found it, they walked out of the woods." Kira points toward the three Warlords. "They wanted to know where the 'Ronin' was and they also asked for "Wildfire and the others'."

"But we didn't know what they were talking about. Then they attacked us," finishes Kaida, glaring at the Warlords.

"Child, are you sure that it was they and not someone who looks like them?" asks Kayra.

"Do you have a lot of armored guys where you come from?" asks Kaida, raising a brow.

"Is cockiness genetic?" asks Sekhmet, glancing at Ryo. "Or is it something you taught her?"

Ignoring the by-play, Kira takes Kayra's question seriously. "We didn't see their faces, so who knows. But the armors are identical."

"What about evil clones?" asks Miki. "Or dark twins?"

"Miki, get real," replies Makoto, shaking his head.

"Well, technically speaking, clones are not that far off," replies Cye, glancing at Sekhmet. "Are they, Sekhmet?"

"Are you implying something, Torrent?" asks Sekhmet, shifting his body to face Cye.

"If the shoe fits," replies Cye, raising a brow.

"This is not helping anyone," says Kayra, as she glances between Cye and Sekhmet.

"Well," says Hoshi, gaining everyone's attention. "I have a question."

"What's that, son?" asks Rowen, looking at his son.

"How do you know these guys?" asks Hoshi.

"Yeah, it's kind of obvious that you all know each other," says Nami. "But we, like, have no memory of you guys."

"It was before you were born, Nami," says Cye. "And it's a long story."

"Maybe it's a story that they should know," says Rowen. Looking to each Ronin, Rowen settles his eyes on Ryo. Nodding his head, Ryo looks at the teenagers.

"Get comfortable," says Ryo. "This may take a while."


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 As the teenagers settle on the floor, Kayra and the Warlords move off to the side of the room. Rubbing his face, Ryo glances to the other Ronins. "I guess I'll start," says Ryo. "Only fair, since you were the first on scene," replies Kento with a shrug. 

"It all started around 21 years ago when the Dynasty, a empire from another dimension, came into our world," says Ryo.

"Another dimension?" asks Makoto.

Nodding his head, Ryo continues, "Your fathers and I were apart of a team called the Ronin Warriors, destined to save the world. We were to stop the Dynasty and save humanity."

"'Wildfire and the other'?" asks Kira, glancing at her father.

"Our armors had names," explains Sage. "Wildfire, Torrent, Strata, Hardrock, and Halo." As he calls off the armor, Sage points out to the children who had which armor.

"Back then there had been four Warlords, though only these three have survived," continues Ryo. "They served Tulpa, the master of the Dynasty."

"Doesn't sound like fair odds," says Hoshi, shaking his head.

"Well, we weren't alone. In the beginning, we had the Ancient One. He guided us along the path toward defeating the Dynasty," explains Cye.

"Until Tulpa killed him," adds Kento.

"His death wasn't in vain. By dying, he allowed us to gain entry into the castle," says Ryo. "Though before his death, he did turn Anubis to our side."

"Now I am totally confused," says Nami, shaking her head.

"The short of it is, we battled Tulpa and thought we had defeated him, but he had survived the encounter," says Sage. "There was a short time of peace, followed by a couple more battles before we even knew he was still alive."

"Not long after finding out Tulpa was alive, three of us were kidnapped," explains Cye. "Rowen and Ryo were the only two that remained free. Free to save us."

"Though that wasn't the plan," says Dais, from where he standing.

"Poor baby," replies Kento, glancing at Dais.

"Anyway, Rowen and I saved the guys and Tulpa was finally defeated," says Ryo, trying to move on before the situation exploded.

"So they were the bad guys," says Makoto pointing at the Warlords and then he points in the direction of Lady Kayra. "But who is she?"

"Lady Kayra is decent of the Ancient One's line, but Tulpa had stolen her when she was a small child. Tulpa trained her to be a warrior, but in the end, Anubis was able to save her from Tulpa," explains Rowen.

"What it sounds like is when your former master's ship was sinking, you all bailed," says Makoto looking at the Warlords. "I guess loyalty wasn't your strong suit."

"No, more like Anubis'," replies Cale.

"What?" asks Makoto.

"Never mind, son," replies Cye, shaking his head. "The point is, they realized that they were on the wrong side. Tulpa did not care for their lives, only for the armor that they wielded."

"Why didn't you tell us this all before now?" asks Nami, looking up at her father. "Why did you wait till we had been attacked?"

"Well, to be honest, we thought that life was over. We had defeated the Dynasty. We thought that we could live normal lives," explains Cye.

"'Normal' was never meant for us," says Sage, glancing at Cale. "We should have realized that the moment each of us had received our armors."


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Not long after the explanation, everyone disperses from the living room. Walking outside, Ryo takes a look at the sky. Looking out toward the lake, he watches as the sun slowly sinks behind the hill beyond the lake. Hearing the glass door slide open, Ryo glances over his shoulder and then turns his attention back to the sun.

"Good evening," says Ryo.

"It's been a long time, Wildfire," says Dais in reply.

"Yeah, 21 years," says Ryo, keeping his back to the former Warlords.

"You've changed some," says Sekhmet.

"If you mean that we're talking and not fighting, than yeah, I have changed," replies Ryo, glancing over his shoulder and then returning his gaze to the lake.

"Twenty-one years ago you would never have stood with your back to us," says Sekhmet, as he moves to stand directly behind Ryo.

"Twenty-one years ago, we wouldn't have been having this conversation," says Ryo, turning at the waist and making eye contact with Sekhmet. "You would have been too busy getting your butt kicked."

"You cocky little…" says Dais, taking a step toward Ryo.

Smirking as he returned his gaze to the lake, Ryo freezes for a second than turns his attention toward the woods.

"We're not alone," says Ryo, as he moves away from the railing and heads into the house.

Following directly behind him, Sekhmet and Dais enter the living room through the glass door right behind Ryo. Lady Kayra glances up from the book she is looking at.

"Someone is out there," says Ryo. "Someone from the Dynasty."

There is a short pause in the room. Sage enters the room, drawn by Ryo's voice. After taking one look outside through the glass door, he turns his attention to Ryo.

"How far?" asks Sage.

"Don't know," replies Ryo. "I'd say not too far though."

"How do you know that someone is nearby?" asks Cale, from the dark corner where is he sitting in a chair.

"I sensed them," replies Ryo, glancing toward Cale. "The Ronin Warriors have always been able to sense when the Dynasty is near."

"It's starting all over again," says Cye, from the kitchen doorway, as he glances out of the glass door.

"If you are able to sense again, than that must mean the armors are ready to be returned to you," says Kayra, as she stands up from her chair.

Raising her hand in front of her, Lady Kayra passes her Staff over her palm. Where once there was nothing, suddenly five spheres of varying colors appear in her hand. Stepping up to her, Ryo reaches out and takes the red ball. As his hand closes over the orb, the virtue of Righteousness glows on his forehead.

"I guess we're needed again," says Sage, as he steps forward to take his armor's orb.

As each Ronin takes his armor's orb, their virtue glows on their forehead, almost as if in greeting them after having been separated so long. Once all the Ronins have their orbs, they call their sub-armors. Taking a deep breath, Ryo nods to the other Ronin.

"Call to arms," says Ryo. "Armor of Wildfire!"

"Armor of Halo!"

"Armor of Strata!"

"Armor of Torrent!"

"Armor of Hardrock!"

At the sound of shouting, the teenagers run into the living to watch as their fathers finish their transformations into their armors.

"That's so cool," says Nami, as she moves toward her father.

Looking between the armored Warlords and Ronins, Kaida walks over to her father.

"What's wrong?" asks Kaida, glancing at her father's swords.

"We have company," replies Ryo. "I want you guys to stay in the house."

"But…" says Makoto.

"No but's," replies Cye, as he catches the eyes of both of his children. "The house may be the safest place right now."

"Being in a building safe?" asks Sekhmet, glancing at Cye. "Oh, that's right. You weren't awake yet."

"Not now, Sekhmet," says Ryo. Nodding his head toward the glass door, he turns to the other Ronins. "It's time to take it outside."


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Standing outside on the front lawn, the Ronins and Warlords watch the darkness. Lady Kayra stays near the house, making sure that the children do not enter the battlefield and cause a distraction for their fathers.

"Web of Deception!"

From out of nowhere, an attack is sprung from the darkness of the forest. Jumping out of the way, most make it out of the trap, except for Dais and Kento. Separated now, the Ronins and Warlords enter the forest to find the enemy.

Finding himself alone, Sage keeps his eyes moving. Keeping his sword at the ready, Sage walks further into the woods and the darkness. Hearing the sound of a snapping twig, Sage whips around to find Cale standing behind him.

"Cale?" asks Sage, cocking his head.

"Hello, Halo," replies Cale, as he walks toward Sage.

"Did you see who attacked us?" asks Sage, as he steps toward Cale.

"No," replies Cale, raising his sword. "I'm only sorry that he missed."

Jumping back, Sage brings his sword up in defense a second before Cale attacks him. Strike and block. Strike and block. Slowly, Cale drives him further into the woods, further into the darkness.

Near the house, Kento has gotten back to his feet and stands with Cye. Noticing something out of the corner of his eye, Kento steps away from Cye to investigate. As he moves away, Kento hears a noise from behind and turns around to see Sekhmet walking up behind Cye. Thinking nothing of it, Kento turns back and continues to move toward the woods' edge until he hears the sound of blade striking armor. Whipping around, Kento sees that Cye is down on the ground with Sekhmet standing over him.

"Cye!" shouts Kento, as he runs to his friend's aid.

While running toward his fallen friend, Kento notices someone else moving toward the battle. It takes Kento a moment to realize what his eyes are telling him. _What the hell? A second Sekhmet?_ Raising his staff toward the Sekhmet that is standing over Cye, Kento advances.

"Get away from him!" says Kento, thrusting his staff into Sekhmet's face.

"He's mine, Hardrock," says the real Sekhmet, as he joins Kento to face the other Sekhmet. "No one impersonates me and gets away with it."

"Who says I impersonate you?" asks the first Sekhmet. "Perhaps you are the imposter?"

"I may be crazy, but I know that I am no imposter," replies Sekhmet, raising his blades.

As the two Sekhmets face off, Kento slips in and pulls Cye out of the way.

Only a few feet away from the dueling Sekhmets, Ryo and Rowen move into the woods where the first attack had come from. As they move further into the woods, they notice a man standing in the shadows, a man in purple armor.

"Dais?" asks Rowen, taking a step toward the armored warlord.

"What?"

Turning around, Ryo and Rowen see that not only is Dais standing in front of them, but also behind them.

"How are we supposed to know which is the real Dais?" asks Ryo, glancing between the two men.

Smiling behind his mask, the Dais that was standing in front of them reaches behind himself.

"Perhaps this will help," sneers Dais. "Web of Deception!"

All three of the warriors jump to the side and avoid the attack. Getting back to their feet, the warriors encircle the Dais that attacked them.

"Who are you?" ask Ryo, as he keeps his swords ready to defend.

"I am Dais, Warlord of Illusion," replies the armored man standing in the middle of the three warriors.

"That's not possible," replies Dais, shaking his head. "I am the former Warlord of Illusion. There is no other like me."

Turning his head to look at Dais, the armored man in the center smirks at him underneath his helmet.

"_Former_ being the key word," sneers Dais. "Master has made me the new Warlord of Deception."

"Master?" asks Ryo. "Tulpa? But we defeated him."

"No, I do not call Tulpa my master. He was master to a different Warlord of Illusion," replies Dais, glancing at the real Dais before he shifts his attention back to the Ronin leader. "And He wishes you dead."

_Is it just me or is it getting darker?_ thinks Sage, while keeping his eyes trained on Cale. Shifting to his left, Sage watches as Cale matches him move for move. As the seconds pass, Sage finds it harder and harder to see Cale.

"What's wrong, Halo?" taunts Cale. "Can't you see me?"

"I see you just fine, Cale," replies Sage. "Though maybe a little bit of light is needed." Raising his sword above his head, the sword begins to glow in a greenish light.

"Thunder Bolt Cut!"

Jumping to the side, Cale avoids the attack.

"Is that the best you can do?" taunts Cale.

"No, it's all I needed to do," replies Sage, as he steps back.

"Black Lightning Slash!"

Whipping around, Cale sees the attack but before he can jump out of the way, the attack envelops him. Moving out of the shadows, Cale, the real Cale, steps toward what is left of the imposter.

"You knew I was there?" asks Cale, as he glances between the imposter and Sage.

"I guessed you were nearby," replies Sage. Looking down at the dead body, Sage nods toward it. "What do we do about that?"

"Nothing," replies Cale, as he walks away from the body and back toward the house. "And if you even say that we made a good team, I will turn my attack on you."

"The thought never crossed my mind," replies Sage, as he also heads toward the house where he can hear the sounds of battle still.

Shaking his head awake, the first thing Cye sees upon waking up is the two Sekhmets fighting. Blinking his eyes to make sure that they aren't playing a trick on him, he glances up to Kento, who remained by his side.

"Am I seeing things?" asks Cye. "Are there really two Sekhmets out there?"

"Yeah," replies Kento, nodding his head. "That's what it looks like."

Getting to his feet, Cye glances between the two Sekhmets. Lifting his yari, Cye watches the two Sekhmets fight. Glancing between Cye and the fighting warriors, Kento leans closer to his friend.

"Umm, Cye?" asks Kento. "You know which is which?"

Nodding his head, Cye waits, watching the two warriors continue to fight. As he sees his moment, Cye shifts his right foot backwards.

"Super Wave Smasher!"

The attack rushes toward the Sekhmet on the left as the one on the right jumps to the side. Resting the yari at his side, Cye glances at the dead warrior, while Sekhmet glares at him.

"He was mine," says Sekhmet, as he strides toward Cye.

"And instead of taking care of it, you were playing," replies Cye, as he shifts his body weight to face Sekhmet.

"Snakes always toy with their enemy before finishing them off," says Sekhmet, then nods his head toward the dead warrior. "And what if he was needed for questioning? He won't be able to answer questions now."

"I rather not see your methods of questioning," replies Cye, as he turns away from Sekhmet.

"And how did you even know that you got the right Sekhmet?" asks Kento, glancing between Sekhmet and Cye.

"There was a wrong one?" asks Cye, as he notices Cale and Sage emerge from the forest.

Walking over to the dead man, Cye kneels down and removes the helmet. Throwing the helmet to the side, Cye glances down at the fallen warriors and freezes.

"You have to see this," says Cye, as he stands back up.

Kento and Sekhmet join Cye by the body and look down into the face of their enemy. For a second, Sekhmet wonder if Dais is playing some sort of game with him or if Cye placed a mirror over the body when he wasn't looking.

"His face," says Sekhmet, leaning over the body to get a better look. "He looks like me."

By this time, Cale and Sage have met up with the three warriors and have also looked at the dead body.

"This is getting weirder by the moment," says Cye, as he steps away from the body. "Let's find Ryo, Rowen, and Dais."

Jumping out of the way from another attack, Ryo shifts his body back into defense mode. Taking a quick look around the battlefield, Ryo notices that Rowen is still down from an earlier attack and Dais is no where to be seen. Noticing the fake Dais moving toward him, Ryo shifts his body so that he can keep the attacking warlord in front of him.

"Who is your master?" asks Ryo, as he raises his blades to form an X in front of him.

"That is for me to know," replies Dais.

"And for us to find out?" asks the real Dais, suddenly appearing from behind the fake Dais.

Shifting his weight so that he does not have a warrior at his back, the fake Dais glances between the two warriors.

"No," replies the armored warrior. "More like you will die never knowing."

Suddenly, the fake Dais jumps into the tree branches and is swallowed by the darkness. Searching the trees for the warrior, Dais and Ryo can't find him. All of a sudden, directly above Ryo, Dais attacks. Jumping out of the way, Ryo dodges the attack and the fake Dais lands where Ryo had been.

Hearing the sound of running feet, Ryo glances in the direction of the house and notices the remaining three Ronins and two Warlords entering the battlefield. Shifting his attention back to the warrior, Ryo moves his blades in front of him, forming an X again.

"You're out numbered," says Ryo. "This battle is over."

"That may be so, but I have done what was needed of me," replies the warrior, glancing around him.

"What are you?" asks Cye.

"Our master created us," answers the fake Dais.

"Clones?" asks Sage, cocking his head.

"Something like that, yes," replies the warrior, shifting his gaze between all the combatants.

"Why did you attack our children?" asks Ryo.

"So many questions," replies the warrior with a smirk. "But I am done here."

As his words echo through the woods, a bolt of lightning strikes him from out of the sky. Looking away from the blinding light, the warriors look back a second later but find that the warrior is no longer there.


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

After searching the battlefield for the missing warrior, the Ronins and Warlords give up and head back to the house. Waiting for them outside, Lady Kayra watches as the warriors approach the house.

"What has happened?" asks Kayra, glancing from one warrior to the next.

"Long story," replies Ryo, as he allows his armor to fade away and he returns to his street clothes. "Let's go inside."

As they enter the house, each Ronin sheds his armor. Even the Warlords allow their armors to fade, though they remain in their sub-armor. As they walk into the living room, the Ronins find their children waiting.

"What happened?" asks Kaida, as she walks over to her father.

"The men who attacked you and Kira earlier were not the same men as the ones who came with Kayra," says Ryo.

"They were clones," says Dais. "Copies."

"What happened?" asks Kayra again, as she glares at the warriors.

"The short of it, it's not over yet," says Ryo, shaking his head. Looking at Kayra, Ryo rubs the back of his neck with his hand. "Kayra, I think it would be best if you returned to the Dynasty and find out more information about these clones. They had to have come from somewhere."

Nodding her head, Kayra faces the Warlords. "Once we are back in the Dynasty, you will tell me what happened." Motioning for the warriors to join her, she lifts the Ancient Staff and a light envelops them. As the light disappears, the Warlords and Kayra are gone.

Making eye contact with each of the Ronins, Ryo glances out of the glass door. For a moment, he says nothing and the room remains quiet. Shifting his attention back his friends, Ryo nods his head.

"The world needs us again and we will defend it fore we are the Ronin Warriors."

**THE END?**


End file.
